Black Fire
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: It's hard for anyone to see past someone's flaws and find the beauty. But not for one individual who cannot get her off of her mind. And no matter what it takes, be it death or shame, she will find a way to prove her love. - Edited and rewritten -
1. 1

**Black Fire**

**Disclaimer:** I thought of rewriting this a little after watching several reruns of Avatar. There is MILD language, but not that much to matter. This is basically a one-shot deal and an idea that came from a bizarre dream. If my information is incorrect, bear with me because I don't know too much about the universe, so I will try my best. There are quotes from Azula-centered episodes. Inspired by the song, "Hopelessly Devoted to You" by Olivia Newton John.

_"I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you."_

-Valentine's Day; Unknown Quote

_"We trust our secrets to our friends, but they escape from us in love. [Fr., L'on confie son secret dans l'amitie, mais il echappe dans l'amour.]"_

-Jean de la Bruyere

**By: VampireQueenAkasha**

_"Together you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire world! We will dominate the earth!"_

-Azula

**Fire Nation Capital**

Civilians stopped to stare at the new group of Fire Benders as they rode on by down the streets on their Komodo Rhino's. The small group of precisely 20 soldiers consisted of only females and they were dressed in the standard Fire Nation military uniform. They wore peculiar sigils on their chests which looked somewhat like a black bird against two broad swords. The females looked gruff, mean and particularly beautiful too.

Their leader was the only one wearing a metal mask that resembled a bird's head. She spoke nothing, but held her head high with all the pride of a noblewoman.

Just then, a young girl rushed out into the street, chasing a ball and moments away from being trampled by the Komodo Rhino the leader rode. The creature let out a gruff snort and skidded to a halt, kicking up dust in the child's frightened face. She stood there, staring up at the massive creature and the Fire Nation woman who stared down at her with frigid yellow eyes behind that mask. The child swallowed hard and smiled nervously, expecting to be punished.

Instead, the woman made a gesture with her head for the child to move along and she quickly rushed off with a yelp.

When they arrived at the palace, they were greeted by Lo and Li; the two advisers bowed their heads.

"Welcome, Sea Ravens, welcome!" Li greeted, "Come, the Fire Lord is expecting you."

The leader of the group led her team deep into the marvelous palace of the Fire Lord.

Sen was and had been a military genius since she was 7 years old before her father and admiral of his fleet, Arashi left her family. Sixteen years old now, she had learned to always stay on top and conquer whatever she could on the battlefield. Her mother, Chikako was always the quiet, tolerant woman who, despite her best intentions, stayed silent when Sen received her...punishment.

Even as a child, she was unwanted by her father. Admiral Arashi had always wanted a son and when Sen was born, he had given her the name purely to be cruel. A simple dull name which meant nothing in the Fire Nation. She wasn't entirely positive that it was even a Fire Nation name. Still, her father's cruelty had left her...burned. One day he had lashed out in anger and frustration, rendering her unable to really show her face.

"Ahh, Captain Sen!"

The low, powerful voice of Fire Lord Ozai interrupted Sen's thoughts and she straightened up as well as her soldiers as they had been instructed to do when facing their Lord. The tall, intimidating appearance of the Fire Lord cast his shadow over them as he surveyed the females with silent amusement and scrutiny. Was he either amused that they were all female, or the fact that they were so young? Either way, he could not deny that he was impressed.

"Your reputation has reached my ears, ladies," Ozai purred, "I hope that everything that I have heard is true. The Avatar will have nowhere to run once you find him." He stopped in front of Sen and squinted at her mask.

"Something wrong, my lord?" Sen finally spoke, her young voice slightly accented. Born from the Eastern side of the Fire Nation gave her that.

Ozai tapped one long finger against the cold, metal mask. "You will not wear that mask in the presence of the Fire Lord, Captain Sen," he told her, turning his back briefly, "Take it off."

Sen suddenly felt a small glimmer of unease. Taking her mask off meant revealing her shame. Revealing her shame meant exposing herself and that was something she could not do. But still, she was fiercely loyal to her nation and could not deny the Fire Lord. So her hands slowly and carefully removed the mask from her face. Expecting to receive disgust for her appearance, Ozai surprised her by slightly widening his eyes.

"My, those are quite the nasty burns you have there," he said, almost as if her physical inflictions fascinated him, "I take it you received the same punishment that my son had in the past? Who was it that you shamed so badly?"

Sen's entire right half of her face had been horribly burned and her lips permanently formed a grimace on that side. Most of her hair on that side had been burned off as well. If she removed her spiked gauntlets, the burns would be visible on her hands from when she had attempted to shield her face from the attack. She had difficulty seeing out of her eye where the burns were severe, but it did not impede her vision entirely.

"My father gave me these burns my lord," Sen told him, not noticing Azula walking into the throne room.

Ozai chuckled dryly, as if the concept amused him because of the uncanny similarities between her father giving her the burns and himself giving his son his mark. Although a bit more severe than Zuko's, she didn't seem shamed of them the way his son was. Oh well, he had more important matters to attend to other than the Captain's personal problems. As he turned, he noticed Azula there and gestured with one hand.

"Meet my daughter, Princess Azula," he announced.

Sen's eyes slightly widened at the presence of the princess there and she almost forgot to bow in the way the others behind her did. Azula just stared at her with a bored expression, really not making such a deal over the girl's burned face. Instead, she just gestured to her own and tittered with a comical expression on her face.

"You look even worse than my brother," she said, "You must've done something really bad to get that kind of damage. That or you're the worst Captain in the navy."

Ozai didn't share in her amusement. He stared at her sternly, brow furrowed in a grimace that said he was in no mood for her foolishness. "Azula..." he warned.

Sen however, wasn't even the slightest bit insulted by the jeer at all. In fact, she could only wish that she had something to say to the princess. Her sexuality had never been a topic of discussion and even a focus as long as she had been in the Fire Nation navy, but she had a very deep secret that she could not share with anyone. Besides the fact that feelings for others of the same gender were forbidden in the Fire Nation, but to even think of having such feelings for royalty would get her executed.

She had the deepest, darkest crush on Azula.

When Sen and Azula had met, it had been during a military meeting with their fathers. Sen was only 9 years old at the time, but Azula was 7. They were outside with her brother and Azula's two other friends, Mai and Ty Lee. Sen decided to chase turtle ducks and Azula had suggested a game to play. Even at a young age, Sen was old enough to understand attraction and beauty when she saw it. It would have been considered sick for a girl to feel that way at the time, but what else did the girl have? A belligerent father and a complacent mother. Her parents were constantly at war with one another and not just the opposing nations.

But now that she was in the princess' presence and old enough to speak her feelings, it suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea what to say first. Fortunately, Ozai was the first to speak before she could look like an idiot in front of her.

"Would you care to join us for dinner, captain?" he suggested, "We can discuss our affairs then."

Sen gave Azula one quick glance before she nodded and saluted the Fire Lord.

_Maybe then that would be a good time to talk._

O

That had been how she first reunited with the princess before being sent with her, Ty Lee and Mai to Ba Sing Se.

Sen grumbled to herself as she worked to write down her letter after her meeting had taken all morning. Every day, she would write a letter and pretend to mail it to Azula, proclaiming her feelings, but she would chicken out at the last second and rip it to pieces. But as she started writing, the brush carefully printing out every syllable on the scroll, she began to grow more and more courageous with her words. A smile lit the good side of her face:

_I cannot begin to describe my feelings in words, but I will try not to bore you, my dear. My heart wishes to say what my lips cannot, what my mind will not let me. When I look at you, I do not see a lady to fear and despise, I see beauty, magnificence and radiance beyond even the spirits above. I wish to reach out to you, but fear you will not have me. Rejection ties me down on a thick rope to the ground while the insects mock me for my cowardice._

_I understand a woman as lovely as yourself would rather have another than me, but I can only keep writing, keep hoping that someday, I would have the courage to speak to you about how I feel. Hopefully, I will not feel frightened of rejection and I can only wish that you would love me in return. I -_

Suddenly, a hand swooped down and yanked the scroll out from under Sen's hands. She gave a startled gasp and looked up into the goofy, grinning face of Ty Lee who was hanging gracefully from the banister over her desk.

"Ooh, is this a love letter?" she gushed, "How cute!"

Sen scowled and made a snatching gesture. "Give that back, it's mine!"

Ty Lee darted from her grasp and giggled, staying out of reach while Mai looked on from the doorway, bored as always. "Ty Lee, give it back..." she said, in a sotto voice, "Stop messing around. Azula wants us ready at the wall."

"Aww!" Ty Lee gushed, swinging from her perch as she read the letter aloud, "Listen to this, Mai, 'I cannot begin to describe my feelings in words, but I will try not to bore you, my dear'..." Her eyes widened and glistened in a goofy way, touched by the words, "Aww, that's so beautiful Sen! Who is this guy you have a crush on anyway?"

Sen blinked slightly, her angry expression softening to an awkward clearing of her throat. "Um, no one, just give it back!"

Her hands began to flicker with evidence of Fire Bending before Mai swooped in and snatched the letter from Ty Leee, handing it to Sen without even looking at it. "Come on we have to go, now. Get down and hurry up."

Sen was relieved to have gotten her scroll back before they could figure anything out. Ty Lee skipped from the room with a sigh. "You're no fun, Mai!"

"I've been told ... " Mai said, nonplussed. She started to follow Ty Lee before stopping to glance back at the captain. "Are you coming or what?"

"Y-Yes," Sen responded, nodding once, "Give me a moment and I'll be with you shortly."

_That was close..._

O

"This drill is a feat of scientific ingenuity and raw destructive power," War Minister Qin was explaining to Azula, "Once it tunnels through the wall, our troops will storm their city. The Earth Kingdom will finally fall, and you can claim Ba Sing Se in the name of your father. Nothing can stop us."

Sen stepped into the command module and Azula smiled at her. "Nice of you to finally join us, Captain," she said.

"Of course, Princess," Sen replied, bowing her head with respect, "My apologies."

Ty Lee peered through a periscope at several Earth Kingdom troops using earthbending to create several large trenches. There were Fire Nation forces following them in hot pursuit. She smiled brightly and gestured.

"Hmmm, what about those muscle-y guys down there?" she asked, looking at Qin.

Qin chuckled mockingly. "Please. The drill's metal shell is impervious to any earthbending attack."

He looked at Azula nervously as he said this and the Fire Nation Princess didn't seem so impressed. "Oh, I'm sure it is, War Minister Qin, but just to be on the safe side..." She looked sharply at the others. "Sen, Mai and Ty Lee, take the earthbenders out!"

Mai rose from her seated position with a regal sigh. "Finally, something to do."

Sen cracked her knuckles tightly. "With pleasure, Princess."

She was pleased by the smile of approval on Azula's face and rushed outside with the others, hoping her fighting would impress her.

There were several earthbenders waiting for them and their leader let out a shout of command.

"Ready...attack!" he commanded.

The earthbenders wedged large earth spikes into the metal shell of the drill in an attempt to stop it from advancing toward the wall. Unfortunately, the drill's segments separated, reducing the columns to crumbles. The earthbending leader looked stunned and the group barely managed to form a shield of earth to protect themselves as an assault of flying daggers hurled by Mai sailed in their direction. They looked up in time to see Mai, Ty Lee and Sen sliding down the shell of the drill.

"Earthbenders..." Sen hissed, landing gracefully on the ground; her hands filled with dark violet-colored flames, "Let's play."

While Sen took care of two earthbenders, Ty Lee effortlessly managed to defeat a few of her own through an acrobatic display, utilizing chi-blocking which disabled their ability to bend. It didn't take long to render them utterly defenseless to the point that they had to retreat to the wall.

"Wow Sen, that was amazing!" Ty Lee said, as they entered the drill, "Your aura though..."

Sen turned to her, glaring from behind her mask. "What about it?" she snapped.

"It's...kinda dingy," Ty Lee said, tilting her head a little to analyze the other woman, "Like staring into a huge, gaping pit of tar or something."

_You're right. _But Sen didn't say that. Instead, she snorted gruffly and walked away. "Who asked you anyway?" she muttered.

They entered the command module and a cloud of debris was sent toward the drill from outside. Ty Lee peered at the cloud through the periscope with a surprised look on her features. "Hey, look at that dust cloud. It's so...poofy."

Qin looked warily to Azula. "Don't worry, Princess. I'm sure it's nothing."

Azula seemed doubtful and far from impressed, even when the drill drew closer and closer to the city walls. Qin made his announcement of the arrival, eagerly hoping this would please the Fire Nation Princess.

"Congratulations, crew. The drill has made contact with the wall of Ba Sing Se!" he announced, "Start the countdown to victory!"

Just then, two engineers rushed into the command module, breathless and frantic. "War Minister, an engineer was ambushed! His schematics were stolen!" one of them gasped.

Qin was clearly surprised by this announcement while Azula narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Sen looked at them.

"And how did this come to pass?" she demanded.

The second engineer looked at her warily. "A brace on the starboard side has been cut clean through! It's sabotage, ma'am!"

Azula turned sharply to the three women. "Let's go, ladies!"

Meanwhile, Sokka smiled with relief as Katara and Aang continued to slice through the braces of the drill. "Good work, Team Avatar!" he yelled, over the roar of mechanics around them. "Now Aang just needs to..." He looked up in horror. "duck!"

He ducked just in time to narrowly evade the blue fire blast sent his way by Azula, who rushed out and stood on another brace followed by her friends. Aang had to jump back to avoid another blast from the princess.

Ty Lee grinned. "Wow, Azula, you were right! It is the Avatar!" she said. She smiled rather flirtatiously at Sokka. "...and friends."

Sokka grinned weakly and waved back. "Hey."

Ty Lee performed a graceful swing forward toward Aang who quickly used his airbending to knock her away. The trio escaped the scene and raced through the drill's hallways. Azula smiled at the other women and they gave chase. Sen was rushing furthest ahead, determined to catch them as they arrived at an intersection. Sokka whirled and raised his weapon.

"Whoa!" he said, "You are one big lady!" Then, he squinted with confusion and smirked somewhat. "Wait, you _are _a lady, right?"

Sen clenched her fists and stood in a firebending stance. "You're about two seconds away from wearing that smile around your bony little ass..." she snarled.

"What?" Sokka cried, embarrassed, "I'm not bony! Puberty's just been unfair to me!"

Katara stood beside her brother, preparing to bend water at the Fire Nation Navy Captain. "You'll have to deal with me too!"

Aang looked back at them frantically. "Guys, get out of here. I know what I need to do."

Eventually, Azula and the other two reached the intersection, just as Aang went in one direction and Sokka and Katara in another, with Sen behind the two. Azula gestured to their direction. "Follow them! The Avatar's mine!" she commanded.

Mai and Ty Lee begin chasing Katara and Sokka while Azula chases after Aang. They stopped when Sen was following the two siblings in an open hatch. Ty Lee read the sign labeled "Slurry Pipeline" and tugged at Mai's hand.

"C'mon! You heard Azula. We have to follow them!" she insisted.

Mai held out two hands. "She can shoot all the lightning she wants at me. I am not going in that wall sludge juice."

Ty Lee didn't argue and jumped into the hatch, splashing into the slurry behind Sen. She smiled with determination and the firebender looked at her briefly with dismay. Just as they were moments away from reaching the release hatch, they were forced to remain due to the continuous bending by the waterbender below. Ty Lee and Sen struggled to be free, but it was futile so long as Katatra continued to plug up the hatch.

"You filthy little - " Sen spat down at her, "I'll _kill _you for that!"

Katara flashed her a smirk. "You and your circus freak will have to come down here and get me!"

"Katara, keep that up!" Sokka told her, "The pressure will build up in the drill. Then when Aang delivers the final blow, it'll be ready to pop!"

"What?" Sen gasped, struggling to breathe between a mouthful of slurry.

O

It was quite a mess.

Qin stared through the slurry in his command module, shocked by what had happened. The entire drill was destroyed.

Azula slid down the drill, covered in slurry and she landed by Ty Lee and Sen who attempted to clean the mess from their bodies. A hatch opened above them, revealing Mai, who was completely clean and free of it.

"We lost." she said, dryly.

Sen spat out a glob of slurry. "Yes, the obvious eluded me!" she snapped.

Azula was displeased and turned to Qin, who made his way out of the drill. "Princess!" he cried, "Forgive me! That wasn't supposed to ha - " He yelped when he slipped over the slurry and fell face-first into the ground.

Sen stood over him before pressing a foot against his back. "I'm sorry." she growled, "What was that about the drill being...impervious to attack?"

Qin struggled to breathe beneath the liquid mess and Azula watched the scene with amusement for a moment before looking at Sen. "That's enough. Let him up."

Sen obeyed and Azula watched Qin struggle to rise. "Never you mind," she replied, with a wicked smile. "I had a feeling this drill would fail us, so that's why I formulated another plan."

Qin smiled weakly, but shook in the presence of Azula's suddenly darker stare. "But this failure is going to cost you your freedom, War Minister. Rest assured."

The man whimpered, but understood plenty what that meant.


	2. 2

~~0~~

_One month later_

Sen wasn't sure how long she'd spent alone this time in the walls of Ba Sing Se in her room by herself, working on that letter. After the coup, Azula had spent time with her brother, attempting to help him find his way back to his father. They were returning to the Fire Nation Palace soon and Sen was invited to come along. She didn't know why, but she was honored by it. After being away from her troops for a while, she was curious as to how her second in charge was handling her affairs.

"Sen!"

When she heard Azula calling her from another room, she immediately hid the letter in her armor and walked toward the room the princess had called her from.

And froze.

Azula was sitting in a bath, languidly surrounded by candles with her hair hanging on the outside. She smiled when she saw the suddenly tense firebender there and held out a comb. "Come here and brush my hair for me, would you?"

Sen's eyes widened behind her mask. _Oh spirits... _

Azula studied her strangely. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, "_Come here_."

Sen swallowed hard, trying to keep her tongue from sticking to the roof of her mouth before nodding and kneeling behind the princess, taking the comb and slowly starting to brush the long hair laid out in front of her.

"Hm." Azula murmured thoughtfully before smiling at the mirror in front of her, noticing that Sen wasn't looking at her. "You should be celebrating, Sen. Today's a day that goes down in Fire Nation history. You should be proud."

"I am, Princess," Sen said quietly, continuing to comb her hair, "But it wouldn't be my success to celebrate, it is yours alone."

"All true," Azula agreed, with a wave of a dismissing hand, "But you've worked rather hard yourself and I'm feeling in a good mood today. So I've considered offering you something."

Sen looked up in surprise. "W-What is it, Princess?" she asked, unable to hide the tremble in her voice.

"I've heard about your father, Admiral Arashi," Azula explained, "How he gave you those burns on your face."

Sen's hand stilled somewhat as she felt a flame burn in her belly. "Yes..."

"Well, our fuddy-duddy Admiral's been captured for treasonous acts," Azula continued, as if it was no big deal, "I don't have the details on what he was doing exactly, but I've told them to bring him here to you."

Sen's eyes widened. The idea of seeing her father again after so many years... She didn't know what to say.

"He'll be waiting at the Earth Kingdom Palace in a few hours," Azula told her, "I told father we'd run a little late so that you could...have a little fun."

_Fun..._

Sen had no other way of answering except for "thank you, Princess".

O

Sen shifted on her heels impatiently.

Azula had taken a comfortable spot where the Earth King had once sat and watched her comrade with amusement. "Sen, there's no need to be so anxious," she said, casually studying her lengthy nails.

"I am merely a little...excited." Sen assured her.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Mai murmured, leaned against the steps of the throne.

Zuko was standing beside her and watched Sen silently. She met his gaze briefly from the comforts of her mask, wondering what he was thinking. Well, she didn't have too long to consider this as two Dai Li agents were dragging a man in Fire Nation uniform into the chamber. He was kicking and thrashing uselessly on the stone cuffs that bound his arms behind his back.

Sen was frozen for a good two minutes, studying the wrinkled, abnormally aged features of her father, struggling to be free. He didn't resemble the cold, cruel face that she had once known in her childhood - the same that had mocked her openly in front of the public, the same that had caused her such physical and emotional pain that she hated the very sight of herself in the mirror. No...this man they brought before her was a stranger.

Arashi was thrown onto his knees before Sen with a grunt of pain and he looked up at her, obviously not recognizing the woman yet. "What is the meaning of this?" he spat, "I am no traitor!"

Azula shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Maybe you should try telling that to Sen, admiral."

Arashi looked up at Sen and his eyes grew wide. "What?"

Sen advanced toward him. "Yes, father, take a look." she hissed, struggling to maintain a calm voice, "It's me, your daughter. Nothing? Hm. Maybe this might help."

Arashi's face fell with horror when Sen removed her mask, revealing the terrible burns. The Dai Li agents reacted with a mild shift of unpleasantness at the sight of it. Sen glared at them, her yellow eyes cold enough to freeze before she looked down at her father.

Sen bent down before him and raised a finger and her thumb, producing that same eerie violet flame that danced in front of his eyes. Arashi stared at it warily before looking back at the dark features of his unsympathetic daughter.

"I thought you were dead, father," she said, straightening and clenching her fist, "But I suppose evil doesn't die so easily, does it?"

Arashi shuddered furiously.

"Move his head back a bit," Sen ordered the Dai Li.

At her command, their hands grasped Arashi's head and forced it back so that he had nowhere else to look but to his daughter. Sen tightened the clasps on her metal gloves. "Do you remember when I crafted these, father?" she said, "Of course you do. You made me work every single day until I got them _right_!"

Immediately, she punched him across the mouth , sending a spray of blood across the marble floor. Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock, but Azula's smirk just broadened when Arashi cried out in pain. He spat a little blood out, but received another punch to the face again. Sen was emotionless toward his agony.

"I did that to teach you respect!" he shrieked, "The mark on your face was - "

"Indeed!" Sen said, her eyes flickering with venom - she punched him again, "Who was it, my father, who taught me respect? Hm? Who was it who _taught_ me every waking hour of my life? Until my very hands an feet bled?" She leaned forward and lifted his blood-soaked chin, making him look into her cold, pitiless gaze. "Tell me. Who was it to filled my head with the idea that I was so very worthless? Who was it who _taught _me to despise myself?"

A memory passed through Arashi's mind.

_He was standing over his daughter in the rain, commanding her with cruel ferocity as she struggled to maintain her bending flame in the downpour. _

_"I told you, we will do this all night if we have to!" he roared._

_Sen whimpered and cowered from her father's words._

Remembering the terrified sight of his child and staring into the stranger's eyes in front of him, he knew he had created the perfect soldier he'd wanted. The perfect warrior without remorse to her enemies. And right now, she saw him as such.

"Are you proud of me now, father?" Sen asked, punching him again, "Are you proud?"

The blood that spurted from the punches to his face struck Sen across her armor and cheeks, but it seemed to particularly disturb the Dai Li as they cringed and glanced at each other, holding the moaning admiral as the beating continued.

"Sen...please stop..." he managed to get out.

Sen's eyes widened and she grabbed his lower jaw in one hand, forcing him to look up at her. "What did you just say?" she asked, her voice filled with shock. "What did you just say to me?"

Arashi looked up at her and mumbled painfully. "I said, please stop."

In place of her father, Sen saw herself, holding her hands up protectively around her face, pleading for the same thing. The vision ended and Sen's eyes grew wide. Finally, she let out a tired sigh and relaxed. After feeling so much rage culminate all at once and then exploding, she suddenly felt so...tired. So, she beckoned the Dai Li agents away.

"Take that _thing_ from my sight..." she ordered.

Arashi could only whimper in pain as the Dai Li dragged him away.

O

The return trip to the Fire Nation had made Zuko anxious, so Sen observed Mai as she walked outside of the palace, approaching her boyfriend and offering comfort. She exhaled wearily and returned to her room, noticing speckles of blood that caked the lining of her armor. She spent time removing it with a wet rag before sitting in front of herself in the mirror, staring at the horrible burns on her face. She reached up and touched them before closing her eyes.

"Why can't I do anything about this?" she mumbled sadly.

_I'm never going to be good enough for her. She so beautiful and I'm - _Sen thought with bitter disgust.

Instead of thinking about it any more, she fitted her mask back onto her face, stood up and left her room, entering the dining hall. Mai and Ty Lee were already at the dining table when Sen arrived. Azula was sitting at the far end, in mid discussion about taking a trip to Ember Island. When Lo and Li noticed Sen arriving, they quickly brought forth some tea and some Flaming Fire Flakes.

"Sen!" Azula said, waving one hand, "How would you enjoy a trip to Fire Island?"

Sen blinked and took a spot beside Mai and across from Ty Lee. "Um, that would be fine, princess," she answered, "May I ask what the occasion is?"

Azula popped a Fire Flake into her mouth. "No occasion. I just thought it would be...kind of..." She paused, almost thoughtful and glanced over at Ty Lee expectantly, as if she had the answer to that that Azula did not.

"Oh! Fun!" Ty Lee finished for her.

"That, and considering the fact that your father is holding a restricted meeting with his advisers," Lo answered, refilling Azula's cup.

Azula gave her a skeptical frown. "Always down to the facts, aren't you, Li?"

Lo blinked. "But I'm Lo."

Azula smiled at Sen and waved her hand in the air. "There you have it. Father is busy and he wants us out of the house. Case in point: We're using Lo and Li's beach house for the time being. Would you care to join us?"

Sen smiled back and nodded, picking up her cup. "Sure."

She started to drink and Ty Lee flashed a goofy grin. "Sen needs some salty air to clear her head of all that love she put in her letter!"

Sen's eyes bugged wide and she abruptly spat her drink out which Mai quickly dodged to avoid being sprayed. Azula's ears pricked up with intrigue at the idea and she smiled broadly at Sen, who was glaring hate rays at Ty Lee.

"A crush, huh?" she said, "Tell me, who's the guy?"

Sen sat rigidly in her spot and she glowered at Ty Lee like she wanted to kill her. "No one..." she hissed.

"But you said that - OW!" Ty Lee cried out when Sen kicked her under the table.

Azula didn't press any further. "Never mind who it is," she said, "We're going out."

Sen smiled behind her mask.

Well, at least she had a chance to try and tell the princess while she was in a good mood.

O

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island," Ty Lee announced, as they arrived on the docks of the island, "It's gonna be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing."

Zuko glared at her, sitting down at the side of the docks. "Doing nothing is a waste of time! We're being sent away on a forced vacation." he snapped. He rose to his feet and angrily kicked at a pebble. "I feel like a child."

Azula smiled at him. "Lighten up. So dad wants to meet with his advisers alone without anyone else around," she said, "Don't take it personally."

Ty Lee cocked her head. "Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?"

"We used to come every summer when we were kids," Azula replied, following Li and Lo to their beach house.

"That must have been fun." Ty Lee said, smiling brightly.

Zuko stared at her grimly before he closed his eyes, reliving the once happier times of his family and friends together on the beach. Back when things used to make sense. Back when he wasn't so conflicted. "That was a long time ago."

Sen stared at him, but said nothing. She felt a glimmer of his pain for only a brief moment.

They stepped into the beach house and instantly, Zuko groaned with disgust. The house had a rather putrid smell to it that festered into his nostrils.

"Ugh..." Zuko groaned, "It smells like old lady in here."

Mai raised a single brow and casually fanned some of the dusty pottery with one hand. "Gee, I wonder why."

Sen glanced around the house with regal boredom from behind her mask. Zuko gave her a funny look, like he had just now noticed that she was wearing the thing. "You know, you don't always have to wear that."

"Don't worry about me." Sen answered, briskly.

"I'm not," Zuko told her, "I'm just saying because I know. Sooner or later, we have to stop hiding."

Ty Lee walked around until she spotted a picture of two women posing back to back. They were very beautiful too. "Who are these two beautiful women?" she asked, glancing back at the older women.

"Can't you tell?" Li grinned at her.

The two posed just like the women in the picture. "It's Li/Lo and me!" they said, together.

Everyone else looked horrified, and Zuko covered his mouth to keep from vomiting. Sen shuddered where she stood. "I think I may skip lunch for today..." she muttered. She turned and walked out of the beach house.

After unraveling from their trip, the crew went down to the beach.

Sen had always been pretty comfortable with her body minus her facial damages. Given her military life, she was pretty muscular in tone and structure. But she was also humble as well, so she was dressed in a pair of black pants and a red vest sporting the Fire Nation insignia. She had her hair braided.

She looked up, just in time to see Azula observing a game of Kuai Ball in effect. She smiled slyly and stood up, approaching the people playing.

"Hey, beach bums, we're playing next," she told them. Then, she called over to Ty Lee, who was in the middle of being fanned by two teenagers while a third boy holds up a blanket to give her shade. "Ty Lee, get over here now!"

Ty Lee did a perfect a handstand and walked on her hands to Azula.

Sen wasn't up for playing in the game, so the others engaged without argument. She went to a stand to retrieve two things of watermelon juice. A loud explosion caused her to look back at the game. Azula had spiked the ball so hard through the net that it had caught on fire. She grinned triumphantly and thrust her hands into the air.

"Yes! We defeated you for all time!" she boasted, "You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" She paused before smiling back at the others. "Well, That was fun. What else shall we do?"

Sen walked up and offered her one of the melons. "Drink?"

"Don't mind if I do!" Azula quickly took the watermelon and slurped from it in a loud and unappealing manner. Her sounds disgusted a few of the boys there at the beach while Sen smiled, not disgusted in the slightest. Zuko gave her a frown, staring down at the watermelon in her hands as she took a small drink.

"What?" he said, "You didn't get any for us?"

Sen scowled at him from behind her mask. "Your face is burned, but your arm's aren't broke."

Zuko squinted at her suspiciously before he scoffed and brushed passed her. "Fine. I'll just get it myself."

Azula stared at Sen and shrugged her shoulders. "Wonder what's eating him."

"Maybe he got a sea slug stuck in his shorts or something." Sen muttered. She watched Zuko as he retrieved some ice cream from the stand. Did he suspect something? Zuko wasn't the brightest torch, but he wasn't all that stupid either.

Sen wanted to spend some time with Azula, but several guys approached her and the others and started talking about a party that they were having. What surprised Sen was Azula actually wanted to go. Go to meet them, maybe? If Azula had any interest in the one called "Chan", Sen knew that she had no chance of trying to reveal her feelings to the princess. But Azula didn't seem none TOO interested when she was talking about it at lunch.

"Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko asked, glancing at his sister.

Azula shrugged her shoulders. "I guess, I was…intrigued. I'm so used to people worshiping us."

"They should." Ty Lee piped up.

Azula smiled at her. "Yes, I know and I love it," she argued, good-naturedly for once, "But for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who we were."

"Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate..." Li began, studying her bowl with a calm and quiet demeanor.

"Ember Island reveals the true you." Lo finished.

Suddenly, the two clapped hands and performed a few synchronized arm movements. "To the party!"

_Later_

Chan opened his door and looked confused at the sight of Azula and her friends standing there. "Um, you're a little early. No one's here yet."

Azula smiled. "I heard you telling someone that you'd be partying from dusk 'til dawn. It's dusk, so we're here."

"But that's just an expression." Chan argued.

"We are the perfect party guests," Azula told him, beaming with pride, as if she had it all figured out, "We arrive right on time because we are very punctual."

Chan didn't see a point in arguing, so he just shrugged and opened the door wider, signaling for them to come in. "All right listen, my dad's an admiral and has no idea I'm having this party so don't mess anything up."

Ruon Jian stood with his back against the wall and grinned, waving at Sen. She glared back at him before straightening and watching Azula move in on Chan. Her lips tightened behind her mask and she clenched her fists.

"That's a sharp outfit, Chan. Careful," Azula said, smiling, "You could puncture the hull of an empire-class Fire Nation battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea." She pointed at Chan's outfit. "...because it's so sharp."

Chan smiled, though looked a little confused. "Um...thanks."

Eventually, the party moved underway and various people began showing up. Sen, Azula and Ty Lee were in a discussion about boys. Well, Sen was doing most of the listening while the other two were talking.

"Come on, Ty Lee. You can't be this ignorant." Azula said.

Ty Lee strugged. "What are you talking about?"

"Those boys only like you because you make it so easy for them," Azula explained, "You're not a challenge. You're a tease. It's not like they actually care who you are."

Sen couldn't help but snicker somewhat, but Ty Lee started crying. Azula immediately changed to a softer gentler tone. "Okay, okay, calm down. I didn't mean what I said," she assured her, "Look, maybe I just said it because I was a little..." She leaned forward and whispered carefully. "jealous."

Ty Lee looked stunned. "What? You're jealous of me? But you're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world."

Sen smiled behind her mask and nodded, speaking a little too eagerly. "She's right."

Azula smiled at them. "Well, you're right about all those things. But, for some reason, when I meet boys, they act as if I'm going to do something horrible to them."

Ty Lee chuckled. "But you probably would do something horrible to them. I'm sure they're just intimidated by you," she replied. Then, she leaned forward and pressed a hand to the banisher beside her. "Okay, look, if you want a boy to like you, just look at him and smile a lot and laugh at everything he says even if it's not funny."

Sen groaned and the princess rolled her eyes. "Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid..." She smiled now. "Let's try it."

Ty Lee clapped her hands together. "Okay! How about Sen be the guy since she looks kinda like one." She cringed when Sen glared daggers at her. "And you tell Azula something."

Sen rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. I'm not pretending to be a guy. I can't afford therapy on my salary."

Azula gave her a false pouty look. "Come on, Sen. Just do it."

Sen cleared her throat, unable to resist the charm the princess put on. "Um...very well." She stammered a bit before making her voice deep, like a boy's. "'Hey there, sweet sugar cakes. How you liking this party'?"

Azula laughed quite loudly and everyone around them stopped to look at her like she was crazy.

Once things resumed their normal pace, Azula moved onto Chan, who had been in the middle of a conversation with another girl. Azula plucked the drink from Chan's hand and placed it on top of the other girl's head.

"Chan, I'm ready for a tour of the house." she announced.

The girl glared angrily after Azula and her head began to smoke. Sen moved quickly to keep a close, yet easily distanced berth between the two. She wanted to see just what would happen if anything would happen at all. She moved outside and hid behind a smoldering fire pit to watch them.

"Is this your first time on Ember Island?" Chan asked, leaning against the balcony that overlooked the entire beach.

Sen's eyes landed on Azula.

"No, I used to come here years ago."

Sen raised a brow behind her mask.

"It's a great place, if you like sand." Chan joked.

Azula laughed a little awkwardly. Chan flinched at it, but Sen nearly melted. The princess had such a beautiful laugh. She could listen to it all day if she had the choice to do so. This foolish monkey had no idea what a prize he had.

"Yeah, it's like, 'welcome to sandy land'." Chan laughed.

Sen groaned with disinterest.

Chan and Azula laughed together and then, Chan walked over to Azula, closing the distance between them both. Sen's eyes slowly widened with anger. She clenched her fists tight to the point that her nails began to dig into the flesh.

"Your arms look so strong." Azula gushed.

_Is she joking? Mine are bigger than that..._

"Yeah. I know." Chan said, smiling almost smugly at the compliment.

Chan and Azula leaned in and kissed. It was a brief and quick moment, but enough to make Sen boil with fury.

"You're pretty." Chan told the princess.

_And you're a stupid primate._

Azula grinned and began to speak in a scary, powerful voice. "Together, you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire world!" she declared, blue flames slowly rising from her hands and the torch behind her, "We will dominate the earth!"

Chan suddenly looked very stunned and terrified by her declaration. "Uh, I gotta go." And with that, he sided off, leaving Azula alone.

The princess huffed with indignant irritation before she strolled back into the house. Sen watched her go before she snarled and raised her fists to the sky with a shout, bending every single fire and torch around her into a towering blackened inferno. Sen could bend fire into a black, almost violet shade if she channeled enough negative energy through her body. Well, right now, she had plenty of that going on for her.

"Problems?"

Sen spun around, coming face-to-face with Zuko. He stood there, arms folded with a scowl on his face and she simply turned away, in no mood to start a fight with him. "None that concern you, Zuko..." she growled, turning to go.

"I think they do," Zuko responded, "Especially since you seem to have a thing for my sister."

Sen froze where she stood and her eyes widened. Suddenly, she felt very sick, unsure of what to say. He knew, no doubt figured it out or someone else had. It was going to end up badly if Azula found out without her having time to plan what to say.

"Are you crazy?" Zuko snapped, taking her silence as a confession, "Do you have any idea what my sister would do if she found out about this? Oh and let's not forget my father! He could have you executed!"

Sen shut her eyes for a brief moment and sighed. "I know that..."

"So are you going to actually go through with this?" Zuko demanded, his voice lowering just the slightest.

"I don't know..."

"Why don't you know?"

"I don't."

"You have to know! Why can't you tell my sister?"

Sen snarled so suddenly, ripped the mask off of her face and whirled, glaring at him with fiery intensity. She brought her tattered, burned face so close to his impassive, unflinching one. "_LOOK AT ME_!" she shouted.

Zuko stared at her for a moment before speaking. This time, he was quiet. "Look, all I'm saying is think before you do something really stupid."

"You'd know a lot about stupid, wouldn't you?" Sen sneered.

Zuko's eyes narrowed. He didn't like having his traits singled out like that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I have to say it, then you're the stupid one here."

Zuko's hands began to burn with flames. "I've had about enough of your attitude!"

Chan walked out to the balcony. "Hey, are you guys doing any Fire Bending out here - " He cut himself off at the sight of Sen's facial burns and his eyes widened comically. "Whoa! Look at your face! Holy..."

He ducked with a terrified yelp as Sen bent a massive wave of flame right at him, scoring the hairs on the crown of his head. Poking his head up meekly, he gestured to the beach with indignant fury. "TAKE YOUR BARBECUE TO THE BEACH!"

Neither one had any trouble with that at all.

O

Zuko started the fight by unleashing a ballistic collection of jabs that produced miniature fireballs and missiles of flame from his fists. Sen was quick and nimble, moving from left to right on her feet with the uncanny grace that could compare to an Airbender, dodging each attack. Zuko snarled in frustration at her antics and began to charge up the attack into swift repetitive strikes to try and knock Sen off of her balance.

But Sen was just too quick and nimble. She chuckled softly and arched a brow. "Is that all?" she sneered, "Just petty smoke tricks?"

Zuko glowered furiously at her. "I'll show you smoke!"

He lunged for her, producing blowtorch - like jets from his fists. He rushed for her, swinging the 'weapons' from side to side. Sen eluded one, grabbed his other wrist in one of her meaty fists and slammed her other fist into his abdomen in a gruesome punch. Zuko's eyes widened in pain and his mouth flew open in a sharp gasp. Spittle flew from his lips and he tumbled to the sand in a flurry of limbs, just as the others were running up to them.

"Sen! Zuko!" Azula snapped, beginning to curse them, but she actually sighed and shook her head, partially saddened by the fact that she was missing out on a skirmish, "You were having a personal party and didn't invite me?"

Mai frowned as Zuko rose to his feet, holding his stomach and coughing somewhat. "What were you two fighting about anyway?"

Zuko met Sen's eyes and even though she still looked angry, her eyes glimmered over, silently begging him with everything that she was not to tell them. He surprised her by shrugging it off and looking at the others.

"Nothing important..." he said, still looking back at Sen.

O

"So what happened to your face anyway?"

The entire gang made a campfire at the shore side and Sen was lying on a hard - looking rock surface with her eyes closed. When Ty Lee asked the question, she glared upward with a vein sticking out from her forehead at the sight of the girl dangling over her head.

"Ty Lee, is there any time of the day when you're not hanging from something?"

"Probably not!" Ty Lee announced, grinning.

Sen sighed and rolled over, facing away from them. "I don't want to talk about it right now..."

"Ooh! Maybe we can talk about how you can bend colorful fire like Azula!" Ty Lee gushed, like it was the most fantastic thing in the world.

Azula laughed loudly. "Please, like anyone could compare to royalty!" She huffed and the campfire seemed to grow slightly bigger than before, changing her tone a bit. After all, it was a time for relaxation and not silly little games of 'who's horse was bigger'. "But, I have to admit, Sen must be quite the Fire Bender if she could best little Zuzu."

"Not funny..." Zuko snapped, glaring at her.

Azula looked over at Sen and chuckled. "Come on, Sen," she told her, "Relax. No one's out to get you. Come and join us!"

The offer was too tempting to ignore, so Sen moved up to the campfire faster than any airbender would. "Of course..."

Zuko rolled his eyes with a murmur of disgust. His expression made Ty Lee giggle and cover it with one hand.

"So Sen, what dirty secrets are you hiding from us?" Azula asked, smiling deviously.

Sen closed her eyes and collected her thoughts before looking at the object of her affection. No, object wouldn't even be right to place her in category. Talking to Azula was always her greatest dream, but it took some time before she could muster the courage.

"It wasn't what I did," she said, "It's what I wouldn't do..."

Ty Lee immediately positioned herself beside Sen. "What happened?" she asked.

"My father happened," Sen told them, "I was 10 years old. Every day, my father trained me until my bones cracked and my feet bled. He didn't want a weakling in the family and I never questioned it. Being the only born daughter to a father in the military meant high expectations.

I wanted to prove that I could go the distance and become as strong as any man, no matter what the case was and how cruel his methods were. And for a long time, I was doing well even for his high standards. I learned to hone in on my Fire Bending skills, becoming a prodigy at the age of 5. Every morning, I would train until dinner."

"Wow, that's a harsh way to live." Zuko commented.

"Father always ridiculed me and openly mocked me in public, claiming that it would make me into a better person, a stronger one. Sometimes, he would even trip me if I had something heavy in my arms to carry, just to see what I would do."

"Sounds like a nice guy..." Mai remarked, in her bored voice.

Sen chuckled bitterly. "It gets better..." she continued. "One day, I was inside my room, working on my writing. Father had returned from an invasion and came to my room, covered in burns and mud all over his uniform. He actually looked happy standing there. He started telling me to get dressed and that he had a gift for me waiting outside on the docks. Father rarely gave me gifts, so you could imagine that this was big news for me. He brought mother outside and we walked to the docks where his ship was. Father had retrieved several Water Tribe prisoners and had them tied to posts on the beach side. They were tired, bruised and beaten like dogs.

I didn't understand what was going on. My father explained to me that I would eventually go to sea with him and he wanted to make sure that I was ready for war. Mother stayed quiet about it, as she usually did. Father circled the tribe members like a hungry Vulture Griffin, trying to decide who would end up cooked alive. He stopped at a woman and grabbed her by the air, shaking her a little to try and terrify her. He turned to me and told me that I had to learn the ways of war and what it meant to take no prisoners. So, he ordered that I kill one of the Water Tribe members. I didn't want to take her life. I looked at my father and asked her why she had to die. She had done no wrong to me."

"Did you do it?" Mai asked.

They were watching her, intrigued by her tale. Sen stared at them gravely. "What do you think?"

But there was more to it.

"My father was outraged by my talking back to him. He struck me across the face and ordered that I kill her or I would be disowned from his family and labeled a weakling. I was upset about what he wanted me to do. After all, I was still very naive, I admit. Father gave me one final warning, telling me that I was embarrassing him in front of his soldiers and even the enemy. Status was always a big thing for him. And then, it happened. He seared my face with a close - ranged Fire Bending move. I tried to cover my face with my hands," -she held up her scarred hands as proof to them- "but my right side took most of the damage."

Azula blinked before she spoke. "Wow, that really blows..."

Sen actually chuckled at her choice of words. "In ways you could only imagine."

They all started to laugh slightly at the moment shared. Ty Lee sighed happily and leaned back in her spot. "What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves," she said, bending over to pick up a smoothed rock. "I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this."

Azula stood up and smirked deviously. "You know what would make this trip really memorable?"

The group walked back to Chan's house and when he opened the door, he looked confused by their sly grins.

"We've got some bad news Chan." Azula told him.

Zuko scowled. " Party's over."

They began to make a complete mess of Chan's house. Sen kicked a vase over, Zuko smashed a table in half. Mai sliced through paintings on the walls and Ty Lee swung from a support beam, flipping onto a chandelier. It came crashing down, just as she swung to another beam. And then another followed behind it.

Sen just grinned with delight behind her mask, watching the smirk on Azula's face.

This had been the most fun she'd had in...

...well, ever.


	3. 3

~~0~~

**Fire Nation Capital**

_Sozin's Comet_

_Several days until..._

Ever since the incident at the Boiling Rock had taken place, Azula had been in a very bad mood for a while. Ty Lee betrayed her, Mai betrayed her and of course, Zuko betrayed them all. Why should this have come to any surprise to her? Zuko was always a traitor from the start. Sen maintained an on-time status throughout the entire time that she was requested by Ozai or Azula. To make herself seem like the best subordinate that she could.

"Sen!"

Sen was out in the courtyard, practicing her bending when she heard the call from the princess. She looked up as Azula appeared beside the peach tree; she looked pleased for some reason. In her hand was a small bowl of what looked like Komodo Rhino jerky. She offered some to Sen and the girl took one, gingerly eating it. Azula was in quite a dapper mood today given the circumstances. Maybe she had some time to relax.

"I'm bored. Everyone's gone on with their little betrayal games and I have nothing to do," Azula muttered, "Did you want to do something?"

Sen blinked, somewhat flushed at the idea of spending time with the woman of her dreams. Alone. "Like what, princess?" she asked.

"I don't know, something fun." Azula said, taking a swift bite of her jerky, "You do know how to have fun, don't you?"

Truthfully, Sen wouldn't have had a good idea of what to do for her own personal enjoyment. She was never allowed to have much fun growing up and her personal feelings never mattered. She had no time to act like a child the way she should have. Azula paused in her chewing and she read the confusion on the older girl's face. She raised a single thin brow, somewhat amused and somewhat nonplussed at the same time.

"Sen, you can't be serious..." she said.

Sen managed a small smile and shrugged her shoulders, embarrassed.

"Oh, well that is quite a shame," Azula replied, "Because I was hoping that you could accompany me on a few trips before I join father on his leave." Her voice carried a sort of deviousness to it that suggested she was up to some serious mischief.

Sen raised her brows and shook her head. "I-I can come with you!" She paused and then added somewhat shamefully. "That is if you would want me to."

"Good!" Azula seemed rightfully thrilled. "I wanted to have some time to enjoy myself as a child before I took my rightful place at father's side." Her voice dripped with delight and mischief. "A last night of recklessness and chaos, what do you say?"

Sen blinked slightly. She looked surprised by the princess' behavior. "Um, what did you have in mind?"

Azula grinned broadly. "I'm glad that you asked!" She took Sen's wrist and rushed off with her.

"Tell me, Sen: Have you ever been to a Fire Days Festival?"

"No."

"Then this will be quite a treat for you."

O

The two Fire Benders took a small trip to the Fire Nation towns to engage in the festivities of the Fire Days Festival. Sen had never been too comfortable around many people at once. But Azula, being the more "people person" handled it like a pro. They spent the evening in the festival, but later visited a local tavern for some food and drink. Sen had ordered a hot tea and some dumplings. Azula ordered tea and a roast duck.

"Sen, here's what's going to happen once father names me the new heir to the throne!" Azula announced, as if it could happen tomorrow, "I'm going to give you a promotion!"

Sen looked stunned and spat out her tea, directly onto a random Fire Bender across the table from them. He looked disgusted and sighed heavily, blinking through his dampened bangs. "I knew today was going to be one of those days..."

"P-Princess, thank you!" Sen exclaimed, smiling happily, "I would be honored!"

Azula chuckled. "Sen, you can call me by my name. There's no need to be so formal all the time. It's dull."

_Ahh..._

"R-Right." Sen smiled nervously and sipped her tea.

Azula glanced down at the gauntlet gloves that Sen was wearing and she tapped the spikes with one finger. "How are you able to Fire Bend with those silly things on?" she asked.

"Oh!" Sen removed the gloves and revealed that the palms were open. "Open palms," she explained, "I wear these for hand-to-hand combat when I need them." When Azula held out her hand to take them, Sen offered the gloves without argue.

"What material is this?" Azula asked, smiling, "It's harder than anything on the tanks!"

"It's purified Sky Metal," Sen explained, "Most of the mines that supplied this stuff were completely wiped out. These were made with some of the last of it from my father's mines. His ship was built entirely out of the metal."

"Hm. Wow." Azula looked genuinely impressed with her skills. "Why haven't I heard anything about this new metal?"

"It was in the planning stages for use in the military earlier on about ten years ago," Sen told her, taking another sip of her tea, "But when your father discovered that it could not be mass produced for his machines or any armors of other metals without crumbling apart, he decided to close down the mines after every single bit was taken out and placed into storage. He didn't want it to be used by the other nations."

"What a shame," Azula murmured, "It would have made for fine armor." She handed Sen the gloves back and took a sip of her tea. "So where did your ladies disappear to?"

Sen smiled. "I ordered them to take a personal day today. They should be enjoying the festivities as well." Her smile disappeared as two men were watching her from the bar. They quickly looked away and Azula caught the irritation on her face.

"What?" the princess asked.

"That guy was just staring at me right now," Sen said, lowly. "I don't like the way that he was staring at me."

Azula glanced back at the man that Sen was talking about before she laughed and shook her head. "Don't concern yourself with peasant trash, my cauterized friend," she told her. "They talk a big game but when you stand up to them, they cower like rats."

But Sen couldn't get over it, no matter what was said. She hated being stared at purely because of her face. Most people were smart enough not to stare at her given her status and being with Azula gave her some kind of strength not to wear her mask the way that she usually would. But right now, she was getting angry. She stood up and sauntered over to the two men as they were talking. She backhanded the bald one with a dull slap and he grunted, startled before looking up at her with disbelief.

"What's wrong, tough guy?" she sneered, "You think you're better than me, 'cause you got yourself a pretty face there?"

"What?" the man snarled.

He rose up and threw out his fist, but Sen caught it with her arm in a wicked hold, twisted and snapped his limb back. His friend stood up and swung out his fists to attack, but she brought her leg up and kicked him square in the neck.

An all-out brawl took place between Sen and the two men. Azula sat at her chair, laughing hysterically and slapping her legs with amusement, not even upset with Sen's behavior. The bald man groaned when Sen grabbed him by his shirt and tossed him onto the bar counter top, sliding him across it with a snarl of effort before tossing him through a glass window. The rest of the people there ducked out of the way to avoid being lacerated by glass.

Sen turned to the other man and tensed. "You want to be next?" she threatened.

He held up two hands and quickly sided off before she would throw him. Sen turned to a still - amused Azula and hung her head with shame. It wasn't good to make a first impression based on such a short temper.

But she actually surprised Sen by informing her otherwise as they walked back to their ship.

"You're not angry?" Sen asked.

"Not at all, actually," Azula told her, still chuckling, "It was fun to watch you take out two big grown men with your own two hands. I was impressed." She paused for a moment before tilting her head in thought. "Mai's gone, Ty Lee's gone. Why are you still here?" When Sen didn't answer, she scoffed and spoke with a threat in her voice. "If you are plotting a betrayal scheme, you'd better do it right now and spare yourself the time!"

Sen shook her head and raised two hands in the air. "No, not at all, Azula!" she promised, "It would be stupid and foolish to betray you. Believe me, I'm neither of those things."

_I am foolish for not telling you how I feel, though..._

Azula frowned at her, trying to figure out if she was being true to her word or not. "Hm. I see."

Sen shifted where she stood. If this were as good a time as any, she would never have a better opportunity than this. She sucked in a sharp breath, held her head high and opened her mouth. "Azula, I..." _Love you!_ "...have to go."

Azula nodded, missing the pained expression on Sen's face. "Alright, get some sleep. Tomorrow we venture with father to Ba Sing Se."

Sen gave her a click of her heels and a respective bow before walking into the ship and to her room. When she arrived, she angrily paced back and forth, cursing to herself for not saying it right there. She kicked her comforter.

"How could I have not said anything?" she growled, "Ugh, I'm such an idiot! What's wrong with you?"

Sen sighed and closed her eyes, covering her face with one hand. She leaned with one hand against the desk, unsure of what she could do.

_The Following Morning..._

Azula met up with Fire Lord Ozai before his airship and knelt down.

"Sorry I'm late, Father. Good palanquin bearers are so hard to come by these days." She glanced over her shoulder coldly to her servants who had carried her there to the ships. "So, is everything ready for our departure?"

Ozai had his back to her. "There has been a change of plans, Azula."

"What?" Azula looked up at him, confused.

"I've decided to lead the fleet of airships to Ba Sing Se alone. You will remain here in the Fire Nation."

Azula stared at him, with protest. "But I thought we were going to do this together."

"My decision is final." Ozai's tone of voice definitely clarified that.

But Azula wasn't taking that for a final answer. She had spent too long planning this with her father. It wasn't fair to just cast her out like Zuko, especially all the hard work that she had done for him. "You...you can't treat me like this! You can't treat me like Zuko!"

"Azula, silence yourself!"

The young firebender completely forgot her manners and dignity in one desperate moment to chance at joining her father. "But it was my idea to burn everything to the ground! I deserve to be by your side!"

"Azula!" Ozai thundered sternly. She flinched and he added then, in a more even tone of voice. "Listen to me...I need you here to watch over the homeland, it's a very important job that I can only entrust to you."

A smile lit her face. "Really?"

"And for your loyalty, I've decided to declare you the new Fire Lord." Ozai told her.

Azula pondered that for a moment and she seemed to be utterly satisfied. After all, she knew that he would have to name her Fire Lord given Zuko's betrayal. "'Fire Lord Azula'...it does seem appropriate," she mused. Then, she looked up at him curiously. "But, what about you?"

"Fire Lord Ozai is no more," Ozai told her, smiling as several servants began to fit him with a golden helmet and shoulder piece, "Just as the world will be reborn in fire, I shall be reborn as the supreme ruler of the world. From this moment on, I will be known as...the 'Phoenix King'!"

Phoenix King, huh? Well if that made him happy, then Azula was happy being the Fire Lord of her nation. When she returned to the palace, she sought Sen out immediately to tell her the news and her chance of a promotion.

"Sen!" she shouted, "Sen, where are you?"

Sen was in the kitchen, making some dumpling soup, even against the protests of Li and Lo. "We can do it for you!" Li protested.

"Yes, we are servants after all!" Lo added.

"It's fine, ladies," Sen told them, chuckling, "I am perfectly capable of fetching soup." She looked up toward the doorways when Azula practically rushed in and almost tripped. "Oh, Azula!" Sen greeted, "How are you?"

"Father did it! He named me Fire Lord!" Azula looked breathless with shock, excitement and delight.

Lo and Li smiled. "That's fantastic Azula!" they said, together.

Sen just smiled brightly and placed her bowl down and Lo immediately swiped it up in her bony fingers to pour her some soup. "That's very wonderful, Azula," she told her, "I am happy for you. Truly, I am."

Azula rubbed her forehead, trying to let herself calm down. "Oh, there's so much to do! So much to prepare before my coronation!" She took off as fast as an airbender before calling back to the two older women. "Lo, Li, hurry up! I'm going to need the house maids!"

"Coming, Princess!" the two announced, rushing from the kitchen.

O

It was almost chaos as the princess made sure that her coronation was to be perfect. She was being groomed by a multitude of servants wjile eating from a bowl of cherries. She suddenly froze and spat out a cherry pit in disgust before holding it up to the servant.

"What am I holding?" she demanded.

"A-A cherry pit, Princess." the servant stammered.

Azula scowled at her. "Correct. And what day is this?"

"It is the day of your coronation."

Azula's eyes narrowed as she studied the pit in her fingers. "Yes, it is. So, please. Tell me why, on the most important day of my life, you've decided to leave a pit in my cherry?" she demanded, throwing the pit at the servant's face.

The servant winced before speaking carefully. "It wasn't a decision; it was just a small mistake."

Azula glared down at her in disbelief. "Small? Do you realize what could've happened if I hadn't sensed the pit in time?"

"I suppose you could've...choked?" the servant stammered nervously.

Azula nodded. "Yes, then you will understand the severity of your crime."

The servant lowered her head. "I understand, Princess. Please, forgive me."

Azula sighed languidly and rolled her eyes. "Oh very well, since it is a special day, I will show mercy," she told her. There was a pause and the servant looked relieved before Azula scowled. "You are banished! Leave this palace immediately."

The servant bowed and quietly walked away. Sen was outside of the room and ushered her to the palace doors before Azula called after her. "Sen!" she yelled, "Get in here!"

Sen immediately rushed into the room and dropped to one knee. "Yes, Azula?"

"Pick up that bowl of cherries!" Azula barked, "Bring me something else."

Sen nodded and bowed. "Of course."

She left the room, but lingered a bit, staring back at Azula with concern.

"What are you all looking at?" she heard the Princess growl at her servants. "I have two feet that need scrubbing. And make sure you get in between the toes. I won't have my first day as Fire Lord marred by poor foot hygiene."

As the days went by, Sen began to notice a strange change in her love interests' personality. Whenever Azula would talk, she acted as if the shadows themselves would jump out at her and assassinate her in the night. Sen would constantly try to console her, but it seemed that no matter what, Azula was dead set for the idea that she would be betrayed. Who blamed her? After all, with Mai, Ty Lee, and Zuko's betrayal, it was no wonder she felt the way she did. She even had difficulty sleeping, even when Sen promised to stay away all night if she had to for her to get her well-needed sleep.

Of course she had one extremely bad night when Sen heard her screaming in her bedroom. She ran to her aid, even kicked the door down into a few pieces in the process before finding Azula in her robe and bed, hair a tangled mess and finger jerked uncontrollably to her closet. She was covered in a nervous sweat and her eyes wild.

"Azula, what is it?" Sen asked, anxiously.

"I saw someone!" Azula shrieked, pointing continuously at the closet, "He's there!"

Sen gave the door a quick look before she quickly moved to the closet, shoved several objects and clothes aside where she began to stomp around for any signs of an intruder. Azula watched her anxiously and Sen poked her head out of the large closet, shaking her head.

"There's no one here, Princess." she told her. "It must have been a shadow or something."

"He must be hiding!" Azula insisted, crazed, "Find him!"

Without question, Sen began to search madly around the room, turning things over and making sure Azula could see every little detail to ease her mind. After making perfectly sure that no one was in her room, Azula glanced uneasily upwards to the ceiling and Sen got the idea. She threw the windows open, swung up onto the roof of the palace and Azula could hear her footsteps as she moved quickly around to scan the entire palace roof tops for any signs of intruders.

Sen returned through the window, her hair covered in leaves. "All clear. No one's here."

Azula glanced at her hair and raised a brow, momentarily relaxing. "What happened to your hair?"

Sen smiled sheepishly. "I tripped and fell into a bush." she admitted, pulling strands of leaves and twigs from her hair.

Azula actually laughed slightly at that, a nervous collection of giggles and hiccups as she pictured a big girl like Sen falling into a bush, covered in bird mess and twigs. Sen's smile vanished and she stared at her sadly. It hurt to see her constantly calm and collected princess falling victim to her own fears like this.

"You have nothing to worry about, Azula," she promised, "No one foolish enough will dare lay a hand on you while I'm here. If they try, it will be the last thing that they ever do, I can promise you that." She slowly backed away to the doorway. "I'll be out here all night. If you need anything, just call." She stared down at the remains of the door and smiled sheepishly, picking them up and casually trying to fit them back on. "Sorry about your...door."

Azula sighed and plopped back down onto the pillow. Her voice was tired, strained and impassive this time. "Just leave it..."

But Sen did keep her word.

She stayed awake all night.

O

Azula was getting ready for her coronation and Sen decided to try again and write that letter to her. She decided to address it directly to her. Maybe if Azula knew that there was someone who loved her, she would not feel so afraid anymore. It was as good a day as any to do this. She wrapped the scroll up and began to connect it to a messenger hawk, instructing the bird to simply return with it to Azula at a later date.

The sound of glass shattering jolted Sen from her spot and she quickly rushed off, just as the hawk took flight. Sen found Azula lying beside a pile of broken glass, sniffling and crying against the floor. She quickly rushed up and bent down to her, inspecting for any wounds.

"Azula, what happened?" Sen exclaimed.

Azula blinked dazedly before staring up at the mess of glass around her, seemingly in a trance before looking up at Sen. "I broke it."

"I can see, but are you hurt at all?" Sen asked, still not entirely positive that Azula was unscathed.

Azula looked up at her again, but this time, there was a change in her voice. She sounded as if her paranoid ways had taken hold of her and this time, they were directed onto Sen. "Why do you care anyway?" she hissed, "Aren't you disappointed that I'm still in one piece?"

Sen looked startled. "What?"

Azula squinted angrily at her and crawled on her hands and knees until she was directly in Sen's face. "You want me dead just like the rest of them, don't you?" she hissed in a very rapid procession of words, "Admit it, Sen! You are just a traitor as the rest of them!"

"But I'm not!" Sen protested, "Azula, I would never betray you!"

"That's what they all said!" Azula spat, in her face, "Before they turned on me! You were going to turn on me from the beginning, weren't..." She trailed off at the sight of Sen's messenger hawk flying about before it landed in front of the surprised princess. She gave Sen a dirty look before seizing the hawk tightly. It squawked in pain before she snatched the scroll from its foot and shooed it away. Sen felt sick as Azula studied the scroll for a moment.

"It's addressed to me..." the princess said, frowning.

Azula unraveled the scroll and her eyes roved over it for a few moments.

_I cannot begin to describe my feelings in words, but I will try not to bore you, my dear. My heart wishes to say what my lips cannot, what my mind will not let me. When I look at you, I do not see a lady to fear and despise, I see beauty, magnificence and radiance beyond even the spirits above. I wish to reach out to you, but fear you will not have me. Rejection ties me down on a thick rope to the ground while the insects mock me for my cowardice. I ask that you do not hold that against me for to speak to one so lovely would make the greatest being weak at the knees._

_I understand a woman as lovely as yourself would rather have another than me, someone who has a prettier face, a better soul to grasp. Hopefully, I will not feel frightened of rejection and I can only wish that you would love me in return. When you read this, hopefully you will understand that my feelings are real, I am real, and I hope that WE can be real. My heart, be it life or death, will always belong to you._

She blinked and her face slightly turned a shade of pink. "Who..." she began, startled, "Who would dare send me such..." Then, she paused and her lips tightened with anger. "Wait, I recognize this handwriting from somewhere."

Clenching the scroll, Azula glared furiously up at Sen. "Is this some kind of joke, Sen? Why would you write something like this to me, send it with a hawk when you were right here two minutes ago? Are you deliberately trying to joke with me?" She laughed slightly and nodded, figuring that was all it was. "That's right, it's a joke. A joke letter. Huh? Is that what this is? A joke letter?" She laughed a little more before her smile and laugh died down when she realized that Sen looked dead serious and even pained. She frowned thoughtfully. "Except I've never heard of a joke letter before." Her eyes narrowed menacingly at Sen. "And you don't make jokes..." She held up the crumbled scroll. "Sen... Did you deliberately write this to me?"

Sen wavered a few moments more, realizing that Azula knew everything now. "Yes..." she answered, softly.

"And everything in this letter is true?"

"It is..."

Azula couldn't fathom such a thing. She had always been told that it was forbidden in her nation to ever become a part of something like that. But to have it right here? To have it in her very home? It was appalling. She couldn't begin to express her disgust through the broken fragments of her already frayed mind. To even be placed in a position like this...

"Get out of my house..."

"What?" Sen wasn't sure she heard right with the blood roaring in her ears.

"I said, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Azula practically screamed, scrambling to her feet and nearly falling over, "You're banished, exiled, tossed out, cast away!"

Sen stared at her, visible pain in her eyes. She looked like less of a soldier now and more like a child who had been slapped for no reason. Her chest suddenly felt like someone was stepping on it multiple times and it even hurt to talk without feeling a hot lump forming in the back of her throat. "Azula, please, let me explain...!" she begged. She fell to her knees, not having a care that it was undignified. "It wasn't what you are that I love, but who you are! I meant no dishonor to your..."

Azula snarled at her and swung her hand out, bending a jet of flame that narrowly missed Sen's head. "Either you leave now, or I give you a scar to match the other one!"

That was it. No reasoning for her, no explaining. Azula hated her. She wanted nothing more to do with her. So despite how heavy her feet felt, Sen gave her one final bow before turning and walking away, disappearing from the palace and the sight of her object of affection. As soon as she was outside the Fire Nation walls, Sen leaned against the stone walls for a long time in silence and finally, after holding it in for so long, she cried.

Hard.

O

_How long have I been walking?_

Sen had lost track of how far she'd traveled in the forest after abandoning her Komodo Rhino. She looked up as rain started to fall and groaned, closing her eyes and letting the cool water fall across her forehead. She took her mask off of her face and stared at it, the rain dripping down the eye sockets like tears. Sen stared down at it for a long time before she let out an anguished scream, sending it flying through the air with a forceful throw of her hand.

After wandering deeper into the forest, her stomach grumbled. Sen barely noticed it through the numb haze of pain. Eventually, she stopped long enough to kneel over a stream for a drink. It didn't matter if it was filthy or not. Sen no longer cared if it even made her sick.

Lightning flashed through the sky, lighting up the dark forest and playing a horrible illusion of her father. Her cruel, mocking father.

_"Where are you going, Sen?" _he hissed.

Sen blinked through the rain. "I don't know..."

_"You're just running away," _her father's voice echoed - he was standing against a few trees, rather languidly, _"Running like you always do."_

Sen closed her eyes weakly. "Who cares anymore?"

_"Why would you think the Princess could ever love you?" _her father's voice sneered, _"You're a very symbol of shame. Weak. Pathetic."_

"Shut up!" Sen snarled, lunging at the illusion, only to have it vanish and have her crash into a brush.

She came back up, soaked in mud. The sound of a loud squealing sound alerted her to a wild boar-q-pine that charged into her side without warning, sending her stumbling through the mud. Sen felt searing pain shoot up from her hip and she staggered to her feet, only to see a wicked trail of blood gush from the place where the creature's tusks had gored her and several of its quills had stabbed into her leg. Sen glared up at the boar-q-pine as it pawed the ground - an aggressive gesture.

"Come on then!" Sen snarled.

The creature charged with a piercing squeal and slammed into her again. Sen grabbed its tusks, struggling to keep some traction on the ground with her feet and she was pushed back. Several of the quills stabbed into her arms and she clenched her teeth in pain.

"You think you can hurt me worse than I've already been hurt?" she spat at the animal, as if it could easily respond to her - she was practically savage with despair and loathing, "_I'll have to disappoint you then_!"

The boar-q-pine let out a shriek and jerked its head, slicing Sen across the abdomen with its tusk. She screamed in agony before she was brutally forced onto her back. She struggled to stand, just as the boar-q-pine started pacing around her. Sen slowly followed suit, clutching her wounded abdomen that soaked her hand in blood.

Then, it charged.

Sen raised her other fist and unleashed a blast of violet flame that incinerated the creature into nothing more than cooked flesh.

Exhausted, the firebender began to stagger away. She was in so much pain and so very tired, not to mention starving. Her vision dimmed in and out.

_I'll just...rest for a little while. _

Sen pitched forward and collapsed into the mud and her eyes closed as exhaustion overtook her.

_Just for a little while..._

O

But here, Sen found no peace even in dream. She was standing in a dead, lifeless forest where nothing existed and no one lived, surrounded by skeleton trees drained of water and color. It was like living in a stereotypical nightmare. She looked around at the unnatural world before hearing a voice calling for her. A soft, familiar one.

"Sen..."

She turned then, wide-eyed at the sight of a middle-aged woman resting against one of the dead trees, head hanging low against her weak, slouching shoulders, long black hair hanging around her face and shoulders like a pitch dark veil. She was wearing tattered, slashed robes and her fingers were long and bony. Her feet were covered in mud and filth. Her face was hidden from view, but Sen didn't have to see it to know who she was.

"Mother?" Sen whispered, haunted.

"Yes, I am here..." the soft, dry voice of Chikako croaked. It sounded like she was constantly in misery, but that was how Sen remembered her. Always so quiet, so sad. She smiled sometimes, but even then, it did not hide the despair.

Sen looked away, closing her eyes with pain.

"You hate me, I can understand that, Sen," Chikako said, "I should have been the better mother that you needed me to be. I should never have let Arashi take my life."

"Take your life?" Sen scoffed, "You died of a fever, mother."

Chikako chuckled sadly, her bony shoulders weakly moving with the action. "Is that what he told you?"

Sen's felt her throat tighten. She dropped to her knees and felt her eyes burning with hot tears. She had lost so much already. Now with Azula banishing her from her home and her sight, Sen was so close to just accepting her inevitable demise.

"She was all that I had..." she moaned, tears dripping onto her shaking palms, "How could I have betrayed her?"

Chikako stared at her for a long time. "I see that you have learned your fathers ways, but you are not entirely lost, my daughter," she said, "You feel pain and regret, which was something Arashi could never grasp." She paused. "There was no betrayal, Sen. Azula has been blinded by the sins of her own father as well as her own personal fears. You gave her your heart even though you knew of the consequences, you are no coward to me, child."

"That means a lot coming from you!" Sen shouted, tears sliding down her cheeks.

Chikako sighed softly. "True love is brightest in its darkest of light, daughter," she told her, "Go back to her. She needs that more than anything."

O

**Author's Note (Extra): **I promise, I'm giving this a happier ending.


	4. 4

~~0~~

_Several days until Sozin's Comet..._

After the falling rain, Iroh couldn't believe he found what he did in those forests. Sen's immobile body lying in the mud, covered with boar-q-pine quills.

"Captain Sen?" he gasped, rushing to her side.

He slipped his hands beneath her and turned her around, studying her filthy, scratched features before leaning forward with one ear to her lips, feeling a very faint breath emerging. She was still alive as far as he could tell, but barely.

"General Iroh?"

Iroh looked back when he noticed Katara and Sokka approaching. Their eyes widened when she saw Sen in his arms and Sokka withdrew his sword, frantically waving it. "That's the crazy Fire Nation captain!" he cried.

Iroh looked at Katara. "She's still alive. She needs help."

"Are you crazy?" Sokka exclaimed, glaring at him. "She's nuts! We can't help her!"

Iroh ignored him and stood up, carrying Sen in his arms. "Katara, I'm going to need you." he told her, "I know what Sen has done, but," He stared down at the bloodied creature in his arms, his gaze softening, "I have a feeling something might have changed."

Katara seemed hesitant. "General Iroh, are you sure?"

Iroh nodded his head. "Let's get back to camp."

Sokka groaned and slouched his shoulders, watching as the two started forward. He grudgingly followed behind them. "Does anybody ever listen to me when I say 'this is crazy'?" he griped, "Or am I talking to myself here?"

Iroh looked down at Sen and his features were piteous. "She'll have some explaining to do, that much is certain..."

O

Sen felt nothing but pain.

Her eyes opened and she found herself in a well-lavished tent. She was lying in a rolled-out comforter with a red blanket sporting the Fire Nation insignia. Sen struggled to sit up, but the pain that lanced through her body was so unbearable, she nearly threw up and fell back onto the pillows. She noticed that her armor had been removed and her abdomen patched up. She had a few bandages on her arms and felt some of them on her legs as well.

_Wait...how did I get here? _Sen wondered.

She looked up as Iroh stepped into the tent, carrying a tray of tea and food. He smiled. "Oh, you're awake. Good."

Sen frowned, confused. "General Iroh?"

"Relax, you're not among enemies here," Iroh assured her, "I've made you some tea and - "

Before he had a chance to finish, Sen was devouring the food on the tray - something similar to meat, but she was too hungry to care - and gulping down the tea. Iroh watched her with surprise before he waited silently for her to finish. When she was done, he spoke.

"Sen, what happened out there?" he asked.

Sen opened her mouth to speak, but when Zuko and Aang entered the tent, she glared at them. "You!" she spat.

Iroh quickly grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to remain before she could start fighting with the other two. "Enough, Sen!" he ordered, "You're going to agitate your wounds if you start picking fights!"

Sen glared at him in protest. "But - "

"No, Sen!" Iroh argued, "They are NOT your enemies!"

Sen eventually relaxed with a bitter snort. Zuko waited a few moments before he stepped forward. "So I guess you broke the truth to my sister, huh?"

"How'd you know?" Sen snapped, though she looked mildly surprised.

"You wouldn't have been wandering in the forest for no reason," Zuko replied. "I guess Azula didn't take it well?"

Sen didn't answer and simply looked away, pursing her lips tight. Aang took a careful step forward and sat down in front of her. "Sen, listen..." he said, "I know what it's like to feel something for someone you think won't love you back. It hurts, it really does. But - "

Zuko interrupted him. "My sister's insane, Sen!" he told her, "She doesn't care about anyone but herself."

Iroh held up a hand. "Nephew! Easy..."

"I wouldn't mind it..." Sen said quietly, her eyes filled with pain, "I would have not minded it if she wanted me gone. If she found me appalling or disgusting. So long as I was allowed to have that one moment with her. So... So long as she is happy, then I can be just the same."

"She can't be reasoned with!" Zuko protested.

Sen's gaze hardened. "YOU betrayed HER. You, Ty Lee, and Mai. You weren't there when it happened. Azula is, in fact, a formidable bender with considerable ability to detach herself from many things, but_ I _was the one who witnessed her mental collapse. The betrayal took much more of a toll on her than you realize." Her eyes landed on Aang and Iroh. "It was worse than ANY ONE of you could ever realize."

Zuko and Aang tensed, bristling where they stood.

She glared at them for moments longer before sighing, features smoothing out of any fury. "Anything but her...no longer matters."

Just then, Momo flew into the tent and landed on Sen. She stared at the creature and he tilted his head with a curious chirp. Aang and Zuko looked surprised when Momo licked the firebender's nose and snuggled up into her lap. Sen stared down at the animal and rolled her eyes with a grumble, but lightly stroked his fur with one hand.

"Well, Momo likes her," Aang said, smiling.

Zuko groaned and covered his face with one hand.

O

Piandao was talking with Toph and Suki who were on board an eel hound when Sen emerged from the tent, struggling to fit her final armor piece on without wincing in agony. She noticed Zuko and Katara on Appa and approached them.

"I'm going with you," she said.

Katara's gaze was gentler than Zuko's.

"What?" Zuko snapped, "You'll just get in the way!"

Sen's eyes narrowed. "I won't allow you to hurt her."

Zuko started to argue, but Katara interrupted him. "Sen, there may be something you can do," she said, with a small, almost kind smile.

The prince seemed disgusted with this, but offered no argument as Sen climbed into Appa's saddle with Katara and they took to the skies.

Sen remained silent throughout the trip while Zuko and Katara discussed their plan in private. She barely even registered the orange sky, only thinking about Azula and what would happen once she returned to a place that she was banished from.

"Zuko, don't worry. We can take Azula." Katara assured him.

"It's not her I'm worried about. I'm worried about Aang," Zuko said, staring ahead, "What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?"

Katara shook her head with determination. "Aang won't lose. He's gonna come back. He has to."

Zuko didn't seem so sure.

Once they arrived, the Fire Nation Capital didn't exactly welcome them. Appa had to dodge through the air to avoid the blasts of fire from the benders below and nearly collided into several buildings in the process.

Sen jumped from Appa and landed in the street as several firebenders clad in armor charged for her. She looked up at Zuko and Katara, calling up. "I'll take care of this! Just go!" she ordered. Once Appa disappeared over the buildings, Sen turned her attention to the benders.

"Captain Sen, you have been banished from the Fire Nation Capital!" one of the benders said, raising his fist.

"Banish this!" Sen spat.

She performed a fierce swing of her leg, sending a violet wave of fire at the benders. The blast sent them flying through the air before Sen bent another wave of fire vertically, slamming them into the ground with the force of it. While they were immobile, she rushed down the street and stopped a soldier astride a Komodo Rhino. She grabbed his ankle and yanked him from the creature before climbing onto it herself.

"Hey!" the soldier yelled after her.

The Komodo Rhino raced through the streets, riding with the very determination of the Captain on its back.

_Azula...I'm coming... _Sen promised.

When she turned a corner, the Komodo Rhino skidded to a halt. In front of her stood several Fire Nation soldiers, poised to attack. Sen's eyes narrowed with venom. This would definitely take some time to deal with.

Meanwhile, Azula was moments away from being crowned the next Fire Lord. She was anxious and frantic to get it over with, but the sages stopped and looked ahead in surprise. Azula scowled and glared back at them.

"What are you waiting for? Do it!" she ordered.

Appa's bellowing roar was heard in the distance Azula turned back around to see Appa landing in the plaza courtyard. Zuko and Katara stepped down from the animal and he faced his sister with determination.

"Sorry, but you're not gonna become Fire Lord today. I am." he snapped.

Azula merely laughed mockingly. "You're hilarious."

"And you're going down." Katara said, standing in a waterbender stance.

The Fire Sage was just about to crown Azula the new Fire Lord, regardless of what Katara and Zuko have just said, until Azula signaled with her hand for him to stop. "Wait," she ordered him. She stood up from her kneeling position and smirked at her brother. "You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!"

Zuko glared at her, nodding. "You're on."

Katara turned to face Zuko, very surprised by this. "What are you doing? She's playing you," she whispered, "She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us."

Zuko glanced at her. "I know. But I can take her this time," he assured her, "There's something off about her; Sen mentioned that she had a mental breakdown. I don't know exactly, but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt."

Katara looked hesitant, but nodded.

O

Sen stood around piles of Fire Nation soldiers, lying on the ground in pain. Most of them had been killed by her attacks, but a few remained alive; wounded and immobile. She herself had suffered burns across her armor and her older wounds had been agitated to the point that they bled again, but she was determined to reach the palace at any cost. She started to climb back onto her Komodo Rhino when the sound and sight of lightning emerging from the palace plaza made her look back in horror.

_Nonononononono..._she thought frantically.

The Komodo Rhino sprinted toward the palace walls and Sen bent a blast of fire that completely destroyed the double doors. Sen rushed into the plaza, stunned to find Azula bound in chains on a water grate. She was lying on her side, frantically thrashing and sobbing. Sen climbed off of the Komodo Rhino, pushed passed Katara and Zuko and knelt to Azula's side.

"Azula!" she cried, "Azula, stop!"

The Fire Nation Princess screamed and sobbed, fighting Sen as she wrapped her arms protectively around her, attempting to keep her from hurting herself. Zuko and Katara watched the scene in silent shock, saying nothing or attempting to stop what was going on. Azula's hands were tightly bound, so she couldn't really fight back when Sen held her.

"Shhh, it's okay. It's okay," Sen soothed, "It's going to be okay."

Azula screamed tearfully at her before she finally relaxed, crying in Sen's shoulder harder than Zuko had ever heard her cry before. In fact, he never once heard his sister cry like that in his life. Sen hesitantly reached up and patted her head, a gentle touch that didn't linger. She was afraid she would cross the line in some way, so she continued to just soothe the Princess by rocking gently back and forth as if she was comforting a child.

Zuko watched the sight with amazement. Though he had no idea before, he could see it now just by watching Sen's eyes that it was true.

She really did love his sister.

"I'm here," Sen assured her. She smiled weakly. "I know it's not much, but I'm here."

Disoriented, Azula looked up at her, smelling the burns on her armor and seeing the wounds she'd suffered. "Sen?" she mumbled.

Sen smiled at her, though her gaze was cautious.

Azula didn't make any further argument and sighed, as if exhaustion finally overtook her. She closed her eyes and leaned into the other woman.

O

_Several years later..._

The new Fire Lord observed the sight with impatience.

Zuko wasn't thrilled with how often Sen had gone to see his sister at the prison for the mentally insane. He never thought it was a safe thing, but Aang had reassured him constantly that "it was a good chance for Azula and Sen to heal". He had watched Sen travel to the island where the prisoners were held every single day, knowing that it had to be supervised. Iroh even reminded him that it was good that they had each other in a world that wouldn't have them.

Though Sen was in a much better mood too. He'd never seen her as happy as she was.

"Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko," Sen told him, giving him a proper bow when they arrived at the island.

She was dressed in fancy Fire Nation attire and carried a pouch of food. Zuko permitted this only after he'd surveyed what she brought with her.

Sen was led to Azula's cell by two doctors and the Princess smiled when she saw her. Though Azula was bound tightly in a straight jacket, safety was always a concern even still; so they kept her in a chair during the day when she had visitors and made sure she couldn't move properly.

"Sen, did you bring me something today?" Azula asked. She curled her nose at the two doctors standing by the cell door. "These fools have NO IDEA what food is."

Sen smiled and nodded. "I did."

"Good." Azula replied, straightening a bit in her chair, "I always look forward to real food in the afternoon." She smiled. "So, what IS on the menu today?"

Sen sat down in front of her at the edge of her bed and began taking out a few dishes. "Well, I brought Roast Duck...Mochi...Sea Soup in case you're still hungry later...Tart Pie..." While she was listing off the food, she occasionally heated them up with firebending in the process.

"Mmm, those are some of my favorites!" Azula said.

Sen smiled sheepishly. "I know. Um...Ty Lee told me."

"Of course." Azula rolled her eyes with a murmur of amusement.

Sen picked up a set of chopsticks and decided to feed the Roast Duck to the Princess first. Azula was often very annoyed with the fact that she had to be fed like a child, but Sen suggested that it was easier than trying to eat her food with her face. Azula wasn't keen on the idea of looking undignified, so she figured that being fed was easier.

Azula studied Sen's features for a moment before she smirked, finishing a bite. "Sen, are you...wearing makeup?" she asked.

Sen looked flustered and shifted a bit. "Um...I might be."

"You are, aren't you?" Azula laughed, "I've never seen you wear it before!"

Wearing makeup did make Sen's facial scars look somewhat less obvious. She had all but stopped wearing a mask and felt that it wasn't proper to do so anyway when she visited the Princess. Azula had found it rather adorable that a fierce fighter like Sen behaved like an awkward school girl whenever she visited her.

"W-Well, Ty Lee, Suki and Katara may have had a hand in it," Sen said, smiling with embarrassment.

"Hm. Well, it's always proper to dress appropriately in the presence of royalty," Azula agreed.

Sen smiled. "Of course."

After finishing some of the food, Azula pressed Sen to talk about what she'd been doing in the outside world and how "Zuzu" was behaving as the Fire Lord. While Sen was talking, Azula leaned forward, resting her head on the other woman's shoulder. Sen looked down at her, stunned.

"P-Princess?" she gasped.

Azula smiled and closed her eyes. "Just shut up and hug me, you dolt."

Sen hesitated for a moment, but finally complied and placed her arms around her. It was just strange that Azula had been the one to initiate such contact first, but she wasn't going to complain. Not one little bit.

The two doctors watching this smiled.

"Aww." they said together.

Azula and Sen glared up at them and they smiled sheepishly.

"Well, as much as I hate it, I should be going," Sen murmured, staring at the Princess apologetically. "There are matters I have to attend to."

Azula nodded. "Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?"

Sen smiled. "Always."

She stood up and gave Azula a respectful bow and started to go, but Azula's voice halted her.

"You'd better keep that to yourself." she warned.

Sen grinned and nodded. She was referring to Azula's embrace.

"Of course, Princess."

When she left the island, she began to recall how the end of the war changed things - including herself. For one thing, she no longer felt shame about her appearance, she also no longer bent flame into a dark violet color.

Her aura - and her fire - was red and as vibrant and passionate as the sun.

O

**Author's Note: **Goddamn it, I heard Rihanna's "Diamonds" while finishing this and it gave me a double dose of feels.


End file.
